Brunotti Virtuoso 136 x 40.5cm 2015
Reviews / Twin Tips
18,526
At A Glance
If you’re new to kiting you may not be aware that Brunotti have been at the forefront of kitesurf board design since the beginning. With early models such as the Piranha picklefork design and the Two Face twin tip way back in the day, through to models such as the ProX, ridden by Ruben Lenten, to the “Youri Pro”, Youri Zoon’s current board of choice.
The Virtuoso is a new board to the Brunotti range for 2015. It’s billed as being the perfect blend between a smooth freeriding machine and pop happy freestyle board.
The graphics on the Virtuoso are definitely eye-catching; bright blues, black, dashes of white and the wood core beneath really stand out. The finish is of an extremely high standard, something that always comes with Brunotti products.
The design of the Virtuoso has had a lot of thought. Featuring Solid Chassis sidewalls, DSR rails, triple concave, Pop Tips, 1120kg dynamic force inserts and many more. This board is loaded with technology.
The triple concave will ensure you are up and riding as soon as possible in light conditions. Meanwhile the sharp DSR rails combined with the Pop Tips and Power Rocker will ping you off the water and into the air like never before.
The sidewalls and responsive flex of the Virtuoso are added to give a smooth, light ride in choppier conditions.
The biggest worry for any rider wanting to dabble or ride constantly in boots is the worry that you may pull an insert out. Fear no more, with 1120kg of force to exceed, your main worry will be landing your moves.
The M.A.A pad and strap set that comes with the Virtuoso will give just about any foot size the correct fit. Adjusting for the foot height, length and angle of your foot, the soft yet grippy pads will ensure you don't loose your board during the hardest of moves.
On The Water
After being a massive fan of Brunotti back in the day the excitement was mounting on testing out the Virtuoso when it arrived. Straight out of the bag the components fitted the board like a glove, the only downside was the lack of washers on the fin bolts. Not something that will bother us all, but some may like the look of a board with washers.
A few minutes of blasting around edging and carving through the waves and chop, it was very clear that the Virtuoso was a chop-eater, super smooth and easy to cruise. When stepped up a notch to big boosts, and some much loved ‘old skool’, it performed immensely. It is super light in the hand for board-offs and grips until the very last moment of take off when jumping, whilst soaking up the landings incredibly.
After putting the Virtuoso through its paces with some hard freestyle moves it just continued to amaze. The pop you can generate with this board digging those DSR rails in was just awesome. The inserts definitely held their end of the bargain throughout the whole time even when it was time to get out with some bindings on it.
“If you want to style out your freeriding and smash some freestyle, then this is the stick for you”
Overall
The Brunotti Virtuoso fits its design ticket perfectly. Finished to precision, simple yet stylish graphics, top quality components and an immense ride. This is a board to watch out for on the beach. The Virtuoso performed well with boots, although the hard-core wakestyle riders out there might prefer something a little less freeride orientated from the Brunotti range. If you’re looking to style out your freeriding and smash some freestyle, then this is the stick for you.
Videos
This review was in Issue 49 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit BrunottiRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
